


Waterlogged

by bigwolfpup, TiBun



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bottom Obi-Wan Kenobi, Humans Keeping Mers as Exotic Pets, Lemon, M/M, Mating, Merfolk AU, Mers have intersex qualities, Mutual Pining, Referenced Past Dubcon, Referenced past abuse, References to Depression, Sand is Soft and Not Hated, Slight out of character, Small Mers, Suicidal Thoughts, Top Anakin Skywalker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-27
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-02-21 22:54:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13153740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiBun/pseuds/TiBun
Summary: Kept as pets, merman Obi-Wan has found a potential mate in fellow merman Anakin, only to be kept apart by more than just a barrier of glass.





	Waterlogged

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: We do not own any recognizable characters, we simply explore the possibilities.

A desperate squeal of horror assaulted the ears of every human attending the International Mer Gala. Large rough hands had reached into one of the countless tanks displaying mermen and mermaids of all sorts, plucking one from the cool, salt-less waters and carrying him over to a table with a shallow tub of water, only enough water to keep his scales from drying out as more hands poked and prodded, examining his coloring and health. He hated it. He hated how humans treated him. He just wanted to go back to the large, deep lake he had been kidnapped from. But of course his language was lost to human ears. To them, he was just an animal—a pet to be sold for a pretty penny.

"As you can see, this one is a small male, fresh water human-like mer, from the lakes of Scotland. He's only been in captivity for eleven months." The human who would be auctioning him off explained. "He's not used to being handled and has been known to bite if handled too much. But very beautiful."

The mer in question, named Obi-Wan unbeknownst to the humans, was fair in completion with copper-red hair and beard, blue eyes, and scales of blue running down his back and into his tail with elegant, flowing fins with purple tips. Size-wise he was eighteen inches long.

"Any questions?"

“Is he good with other mers?”

"He finds comfort in them, doesn't seem to like humans much, but he was wild for most of his life. He is, after all, an adult." The man nodded.

Quiet murmurs swept through the crowd looking into buying the mer. Things were said like “He’s too small.” and “Probably malnourished.”

"Hey, I take very good care of my mers. This is how I make a living. He was likely the runt of the litter." The man insisted.

One man stepped forward, an older man who looked to be quite experienced in mer handling. “How much are you wanting?”

"Bids start at $10,000."

“I’ll pay $25,000 right now.” the man said.

The dealer gave a satisfied nod, "Then I believe this little guy is sold. You have a tank you can place him in, I'm assuming?"

“Yes. I have a freshwater tank waiting for him.”

"Good. Step around the table and we'll get the payment and paperwork settled, then he's all yours to take."

The man nodded and moved to pay for his new mer. The paperwork was finalized, and the man had his helpers transport the mer to his new tank.

Obi-Wan screeched out in protest, twisting and flailing his fins as he was picked up again and carried through the rows and rows of tanks containing mers of all kinds and sizes. His protests only stopped when he was dropped into an empty tank.

The man looked into the tank, his eyes kind as he looked upon his new mer. “You can relax now, little guy. You’re going to a safe home now.”

Obi-Wan gave him an unsure look before swimming down into a grouping of seaweed.

“Take him home. I’ll be home after while.”

"Yes sir, where do you want his tank to be set up?"

“Near the salt water mer.”

The assistants nodded and began to prepare the tank for transport.

 

* * *

 

At the man’s home, there were several exotic pets around the house. There was already a mermaid, or rather a merman, who was already owned by the man. The saltwater mer was lazily swimming about in his tank as the assistants brought in the new mer.

Curious, the saltwater mer moved to the glass closest to the assistants, hoping to catch a glimpse at the new pet. Nothing but a few long, elegant blue fins floating up out of a patch of seaweed that had been planted in the large tank. The assistants finished their job and checked the water levels before disappearing, leaving the two tanks glowing in the otherwise dark room.

The saltwater mer watched the assistants leave, then he looked over into the new tank. There wasn’t much that he could see, but from what he could, he knew the new pet was one of his own kind. Smiling, he spoke up in the language of the mers.

“Hey.”

The fins shifted and then a head popped up, blue eyes blinking before Obi-Wan moved from his hiding place to the two layers of glass and air that separated them, "I was afraid I would be the only one again." He said, pressing his hands against the glass.

“I thought I wasn’t ever going to be able to talk to anyone again.” The saltwater mer had black scales fashioned much like Obi-Wan’s, dark blue shinning when the light caught his scales just right. He also was missing an arm just below his elbow.

Obi-Wan shifted his hand over the glass and sighed, "Yet we are kept apart." He sighed, curling fingers over his chin, "It's like humans don't understand we are social beings when they steal us from our home waters."

The saltwater mer nodded. “We live in family groups, not by ourselves. It’s too lonely that way.” He looked at Obi-Wan more fondly. “My name is Anakin by the way.”

"Obi-Wan." The new mer supplied with a smile.

“Nice to meet you, Obi-Wan. It’s good to know Master has finally given me a friend to talk to.”

Obi-Wan nodded and knocked on the glass in thought before looking up and swimming to the top, poking his head out and looking over to Anakin's tank.

Anakin copied Obi-Wan, looking curiously once more at the new mer.

Obi-Wan lifted himself up by gripping the edge of his tank, taking a moment to judge distance before nodding to himself. "It could work." He decided, diving down and speeding around to gather speed and momentum before shooting upwards and breaking the surface. His body elegantly cut through the air and over the edges of both tanks before he dropped into the other, slipping down deeper.

However, his eyes widened and fins flared in shock at how _dry_ the water felt in this tank. It was suffocating in a strange way, and stung his gills.

Anakin swam over to Obi-Wan. “That was a big jump! Are you okay?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, "This water—it’s not healthy! It hurts!"

“It hurts?” Anakin was confused until he saw how desperate Obi-Wan’s gills moved for proper water. “I don’t understand. I’m perfectly fine in this water!”

Obi-Wan sank to the bottom, desperately trying to find comfort from the water. "Everything feels so dry here, I don't understand."

Still confused and a little scared for his new companion, Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan and pulled him to the top of his tank, putting his gills above the water’s surface. “Is that better?”

"A little." Obi-Wan clung to his new companion, "I don't think I can make it back over."

“I’d push you back over… but I think it’s too far. And if I go over to your tank, I fear I might have the same reaction you’re having.”

"What are we going to do? I can't stay in this water with you…"

"I... I don't know. I can't hold you above water all the time. Can you hold yourself up?"

"Maybe, but this water is taking my energy away."

"I could try calling for help. I don't know if Master is here, but he handles us a lot better than his assistants."

Obi-Wan nodded. He still didn't like being picked up out of the water, but he would make an exception this time.

Anakin made a couple of sharp clicks to gain the attention of anyone around. When no one came, he did so again until finally one of the assistants came and stood in horror of the situation.

"Oh my gosh, how did you even get over there?" She sighed and grabbed Obi-Wan, putting him back in his own tank. "Stay. This tank is your home, not that one." She gestured to Anakin's tank.

Obi-Wan floated in his familiar waters, slowly feeling the dryness subside. Once he felt well enough he moved back over to the glass nearest Anakin's tank, looking back over at him sadly. The longing look didn't escape the human's notice.

For a moment, the assistant watched the two mers talk to each other, then she left with an idea or two in her mind to help the mers grow closer.

Anakin swam around his tank in slight distress. He wanted to be in the same tank as Obi-Wan, but clearly it was not meant to be. It made Anakin upset.

"How long have you been alone?" Obi-Wan asked, watching Anakin.

"I don't really know. Years?"

"Cruel." He shook his head and then pressed his forehead to the glass, "I'm sorry, I wish I could join you…"

"I wish I knew why you couldn't be in the same tank as me. It's frustrating!" Anakin slammed his hands on the glass of his tank.

"I don't know, I didn't know water could be so—painful. These tanks aren't the same as the lake waters I was born in, but they don't hurt me—other than your tank."

“Lake? You weren’t born in the ocean?” Anakin tilted his head.

"Ocean?" he shook his head, "I've not heard that term. I've heard of rivers…"

“The maybe the ocean and the lake have different water types. Maybe that’s why you couldn’t be in my tank.”

"That would make sense, but…" he sighed heavily and slumped his shoulders. This is frustrating, and I can't find a solution."

Anakin pressed up against the glass close to Obi-Wan. “There has to be something that Master could do. We’ll have to wait until he gets back.”

"What's he like?"

“He’s good. Better than other owners I’ve had. He actually comes talk to me sometimes.”

"I've only been in the hands of the fishermen who netted me, and then the salesman who kept putting me on display."

“You’re lucky. I’ve had two other masters, then a couple salesmen and the men who caught me. They took me away from my sick mother…”

Obi-Wan made a noise of understanding, "I was taken from my family as well. Humans don't see us as anything more than objects, it seems."

“I don’t think my mother is even alive anymore. She was so sick when I was taken. She could barely do anything herself.” Anakin shook his head sadly.

Unable to comfort the other mer, Obi-Wan pressed a hand to the glass, "I'm sorry."

Anakin pressed his own hand to the glass across from Obi-Wan’s.

Then a familiar voice came from the hallway, and Anakin’s head turned to look at the door. His fins flared in excitement. “Master is coming.”

And just as Anakin had said, the man who had bought Obi-Wan walked into the room, his suit jacket he wore at the sale having been shed somewhere between the front door and the room he and the mers were in. He yawned and rubbed his neck, making his way over to the two tanks. His first stop was Anakin’s tank.

“Hello, little one. Having fun with you new friend?”

Anakin squeaked and rose to the surface of his tank, being rewarded with scratches behind his ears. He let out a quiet purr.

“And you,” the man said turning to Obi-Wan. “Do you like it here? Is your tank comfortable?”

Obi-Wan tilted his head at the man with long hair pulled back out of his face. He seemed trustworthy enough, and Anakin spoke fondly of him. Still, he didn't know exactly how he should react. Going to the surface was reckless, and it was how he'd been captured to begin with. He wasn't convinced yet that he could trust any humans. But still, there was the predicament of separation.

His words were lost on the human's ears. He knew that, but he still spoke out. "This one's fine, but that one hurts." He pressed both hands to the glass facing Anakin's tank again.

Anakin looked at Obi-Wan and whined a little.

The man hummed. “I think I understand. You want to be with each other in the same tank?”

Anakin nodded.

“I would love to put you two in the same tank… but you require different types of water. It’s not possible for you to be in the same tank.”

"That confirms it…" Obi-Wan sighed sadly, sinking a little and glancing at Anakin.

“I suppose I could put your tanks closer together,” the man muttered to himself. “That might help a little.”

Anakin looked up and chirped, encouraging the man to do so.

The master chuckled and scratched behind Anakin’s ears again. “Okay, I’ll have your tanks moved closer.”

With the help of his assistants, the man, by the name of Qui-Gon according to what the assistants called him, had the two tanks pushed together, glass against glass in the center of the room, and soon the two mers were able to swim to the surface and interact more directly, though they were careful not to cross over into each other's tanks.

“There you go,” Qui-Gon said with a smile. “Better, boys?”

Anakin nodded excitedly, chattering as he leaned over the glass to touch Obi-Wan curiously. He hadn’t known the touch of anything but humans since he was very young.

Obi-Wan made a content purring sound and took Anakin's hand with a smile. They could properly get to know each other this way, and he looked forward to it.

“Good, I’ll be back later with food. Hope you’re both hungry.” Qui-Gon left the two mers alone once more.

“You feel different than I remember my mom feeling like… You feel… softer.” Anakin looked at Obi-Wan’s tail.

"Maybe it's a lake water thing? You feel a little more course than what I'm used to, but not in a bad way." He flashed a flirty smile and reached up with his free hand to touch the dripping golden curls on Anakin's head.

Anakin leaned into the touch with a happy sigh. “My mother felt soft, but not as soft as you feel. Still, it’s nice.”

"Mothers are always soft and comforting." Obi-Wan agreed.

“I miss mine often. But now that you’re around, I think I can fight off that loneliness I’ve had since I was young.” Anakin smiled at Obi-Wan, though his eyes seemed a bit watery from tears.

"You were younger when you were taken, right? Taken from her when you still needed her?"

“Well, I feel like she needed me more than I needed her, but yes. I was quite young.”

Obi-Wan squeezed his hand in comfort.

Anakin squeezed back. “What about you? How long have you been away from your home?”

"A few seasons, so not long at all compared to you."

“How did you stay away from humans so long? You look older than me, and as you just said, you’ve only been in the hands of humans for a few seasons.”

"The lake is deep with many secrets hidden from humans."

“So is the ocean, and yet I was caught.”

"So was I. I made the mistake of going too close to the surface when fishermen were out."

“There were no fishermen around when I was caught. They had set a trap out, and I got caught in it trying to find food for my mother.”

"Tch, pathetic life forms." Obi-Wan shook his head.

“My mother fretted over me for hours before the humans finally came and took me away from her. I haven’t seen her since.”

"I…I had left the cave early to start hunting for food. I didn't even tell my family I was going out. They have no idea what happened to me."

“What kind of a family do you have? Parents? Siblings? Mate and children?” Anakin leaned forward intently.

"My parents passed away when I was a kit, I was adopted by my grandfather, along with my older brothers. I never had found a mate. Came close once with a beautiful girl named Satine, but it didn't work out between us."

“So you just had your grandfather that you left behind? Friends too of course, but family-wise?”

"Grandfather and brothers, but they have mates and kits of their own now."

“And you were the only one not to find a mate and have kits?” Anakin chuckled. “Lucky me, I guess.”

"Yeah, I just nev—wait," Obi-Wan looked at Anakin, "what?"

Anakin smirked, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. “I said lucky me.”

"You're interested." Obi-Wan accused.

“Maybe I am.”

Obi-Wan's eyes widened and his cheeks flushed as he spread his fins out. "We can't even be in the same water."

“Doesn’t stop me from being interested. I like what I see.”

"Well, we'll have to get to know each other to see where this goes."

Anakin nodded. “I have a feeling we’ll get along well.”

"Friends at the very least." Obi-Wan shifted up, leaning over the glass dividing them to hug the other mer.

Anakin hugged back, happy to finally be with another mer. “What the humans do with us is bad, but I’m glad Master has brought you here.”

"Look for the good in a bad situation." Obi-Wan agreed with a smile.

“I’d say we found the good pretty quickly.” Anakin chuckled and dove back into his own tank, swimming around to keep himself wet and hydrated.

Obi-Wan smiled and did the same, moving down through the seaweed at the bottom.

 

* * *

 

A few weeks had passed since Obi-Wan had been brought to Qui-Gon’s home, and Anakin had taken his liking to Obi-Wan to a new level. Casual flirting had been a regular action, but now Anakin was displaying his liking in the way he simply moved. Every chance he got, he would show off his tail, as was the prominent feature of any mer.

And Obi-Wan, it seemed, was starting to react to his advances in a desirable way. Pink dusting his cheeks, though he often tried to pretend he wasn't prone to such blushing, and his eyes often lingered, following the saltwater mer's movements around intently. It wasn't long before he had to admit to himself that yes, he had indeed started to return the attraction Anakin had expressed early on, though he still had his reservations about taking Anakin as a mate. How much of their attraction was because of their captivity? The fact that they were the only two mers around? How could they properly become mates if they couldn't even share the same water? Mating season was coming up quickly, and how would they deal with being in separate tanks if they became mates that were unable to act upon their instincts? He was plagued by these questions and as a result, he never spoke of his attraction.

One particular day Anakin was towards the top of his tank, hovering around the side of his that touched the side of Obi-Wan’s. He popped his head out of the water, deep in thought as he looked over at the water in Obi-Wan’s tank.

Obi-Wan was lazing about on the soft sands making up the bottom of his tank, his eyes closed as he enjoyed dozing off lightly after his afternoon meal. As such, he was completely unaware of Anakin's silent thoughts above.

Anakin moved closer and reached out to dip his hand in the water of the other tank. He didn’t feel any different than in the water of his own tank. Taking back his hand, he hummed in thought, then he pulled himself halfway out of his tank and dipped his head into the water of the other. He chuckled as he still felt normal.

“Hey, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan hummed and rolled over on the sand, turning his head to face the other tank and opening his eyes, expecting to see Anakin there pressing against the glass that separated them. But he saw nothing. "…Anakin?"

“Up here.”

Obi-Wan looked up and let out a startled noise, "Anakin! You shouldn't! My water isn't right for you!" He swam quickly up to the surface so that Anakin would stop shoving his face into his fresh water.

Anakin did pull his head out of the water, but he let out a laugh. “I felt fine, Obi-Wan. I think that if my gills don’t touch your water, I’ll be fine in your tank. Or at least my head will.”

Obi-Wan still made a worried whimper and moved to cup Anakin's cheeks in his webbed hands, "It still worries me."

Anakin blinked. “It worries you? I didn’t dive right in, did I?”

"Still worries me, you reckless thing."

Smiling, Anakin leaned forward and gave Obi-Wan a quick kiss.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened, but he couldn't bring himself to pull away; instead, he melted into it, his eyes slowly closing in simple pleasure.

Anakin cupped Obi-Wan’s face as they kissed, surprised that Obi-Wan wanted more of the kiss rather than pulling away like he thought. Not that Anakin was going to complain. He enjoyed the kiss they shared; their first.

The kiss lasted longer than it should have—a lot longer. But finally Obi-Wan pulled back and looked up at the other mer leaning over the glass. He parted his kiss-swollen lips to speak, but no words made it out.

Anakin simply smiled and chuckled lightly, looking down at Obi-Wan. “I didn’t think you’d want to kiss me that bad.”

Obi-Wan sank a bit in his water, "Shush…"

The saltwater mer laughed. “Aw, come on. You know you liked it.”

"I didn't say I didn't, Anakin, I just…I wasn't expecting it."

Anakin nodded. “I’ll give you a waning next time then.”

"There will be a next time?"

“Do you not want there to be a next time?”

"No—I mean—I just…" he sighed and swished his tail to shove himself upwards, causing their lips to collide again in a brief kiss, "I'm unsure about how this will work out for us."

"Don't worry about that. It'll work out in the end, I'm sure." Anakin brushed away some of Obi-Wan's damp hair with his lone hand.

"How can you be sure?" Obi-Wan shook his head, "We can't even share water."

"I think Master will come up with a way for us. He knows we like to be with each other."

"I hope so." Obi-Wan touched Anakin's cheek. "Can I…ask you something?"

Anakin nodded lightly. “Of course.”

"How did you lose..?" he gestured to his arm.

“Oh…” Anakin looked at his arm, or at least what was left of it. “When I got caught in the trap… my arm got pierced through. It hurt, and I had to watch my mother fret over me until I was taken away. The human who caught me took my arm off where it had gotten caught. He said it was a lost cause because I was so young. I was marked as damaged the day I was put on the market to be sold. No one really wanted me because I was missing an arm until Master came along. I could tell he was different when he bought me from my previous Masters. He was kind and gentle, and he took the time to properly take care of my arm.”

Anakin lifted up his arm, gripping the edge of the tank with his hand. “It’s still scarred, but at least it doesn’t hurt any more. Master said it was infected when he bought me.”

"Such cruel creatures." Obi-Wan shook his head with a sigh.

“It’s okay now though. It doesn’t hurt, so I don’t realize it’s missing most of the time.” Anakin smiled.

"It's still cruel." Obi-Wan pulled himself closer to the glass and touched Anakin's shoulder gently.

"Yes I suppose it is...  It—I don't worry about it much with this master. He's so much better than the other masters I had."

Obi-Wan fell quiet, thoughtful as he remembered back to being sold, and all the times before when he was on display for being sold.

"…Master takes in those who are unwanted." He realized out loud. "You for the arm the humans damaged, and me because—I'm small. When I was plucked from the water and put on display everyone looking would say I'm too small and probably malnourished. No one would want me because of it, even though I am healthy—not that I wanted to be sold. I was hoping he'd give up and take me back to my lake."

“As bad as this sounds, I’m glad he didn’t take you back. Otherwise, I would have never met you.”

"Yes, now going back would be…complicated for the both of us…"

“I don’t know Master’s intentions for the both of us. He doesn’t seem like the kind of human to keep us in tanks for the rest of our lives.” Anakin shrugged.

"So he might send us back to our natural waters?"

“I don’t know. I’m sure he’s noticed how close we’ve gotten. I don’t think he’s be so cruel as to separate us again.”

"You make me so torn about that." Obi-Wan laughed lightly, leaning in until their foreheads rested against one another.

Anakin sighed, letting his eyes close as he indulged in the touch. “You know, I didn’t know how lonely I was until you came here…”

"It has been long for you." Obi-Wan pointed out.

“True, but I didn’t realize I was lonely some days. I had forgotten what it meant to be a mer. We’re social, and I nearly forgot that before you came along.”

"Starved for affection." Obi-Wan hummed, moving in to kiss his cheek.

“Affection from another mer. Good humans can only do so  much… They don’t do enough.”

"They aren't mers, and while they obviously think they know us—they don't. They watch us in tanks, not in our natural homes with our families and clans."

Anakin sighed pulled back. “Obi-Wan, I know you haven’t been away from family as long as I have, but have you ever had those days where you just felt it wasn’t worth living anymore? Nothing kept you going, you just wanted it all to end so you didn’t have to feel lonely anymore…”

Obi-Wan pulled back slightly and nodded, "The longer I was kept away from home and any other mers, the worse it got."

“Did it ever get to the point where you were in the process of ending it all? Poison food or a sharp shell in hand, ready to do the damage?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, "I had nothing in my tank but water. Not even a place to hide. I did think about jumping out of the water and letting myself dehydrate but that would be too slow and I couldn't do it."

“Master came to save me from actually going through with it, but he’s the only master I ever dared try to do it. I knew I wouldn’t get in trouble with him if I tried.” Anakin leaned forward again, resting his head against Obi-Wan’s. “It was hard…”

"Anakin…" Obi-Wan shifted in the water to pull them close in a hug, their bellies and tails pressing against the glass separating them.

Anakin remained silent though the hug, simply enjoying the comfort he got from it. He didn’t notice that Qui-Gon had entered the room to feed his two mers.

“Oh, am I interrupting something,” Qui-Gon asked with a smile.

Anakin pulled back and looked at his master, letting out a soft squeak of surprise.

Qui-Gon chuckled. “Don’t worry, I was just going to feed you two. That’s all.”

Obi-Wan watched as Qui-Gon carried in the two buckets containing their meals, eyeing the feeder fish that were released into his tank before pecking Anakin's lips with a kiss before diving down to take chase.

The kiss didn’t go unnoticed by Qui-Gon, and he looked at Anakin with a smirk. “Are your moves working on him?”

Anakin flushed and dove down into his own water, hiding in some seaweed.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Qui-Gon dumped Anakin’s feeder fish into his tank and set the buckets down. “I guess I need to start some research then. I’m sure you two will want to be close to each other when breeding season comes.”

Obi-Wan halted in his chase, his face bright red as he glanced over at Anakin's mostly hidden form.

“I’ll see what I can find. Surely there’s some way you two can be in the same water. I just have to find out a way.” Qui-Gon tapped the glass of Anakin’s tank and left the room with empty buckets in hand.

Anakin came out of hiding and stated chasing his food, devouring most of it in a couple of seconds.

"Shy but hungry." Obi-Wan teased, returning to his own chase.

“I haven’t really liked breeding season in the past,” Anakin muttered as he finished chasing down his meal.

"It's never fun for lonely mers without a mate… I always hid in a cave away from my clan…"

“I was forced to… do things during breeding season. I never had a connection with the mers I was with.”

That caused Obi-Wan to freeze yet again, his eyes wide with horror as they shifted to look at Anakin, "The humans made you..?"

Anakin nodded slowly, sinking down to the sand. “Even though I was marked as damaged goods. Everything about me was perfect for breeding. As soon as I was old enough, they bred me to other mers. I don’t know how many kids I have out in the hands of bad humans…”

Obi-Wan's fins flared in anger.

“Doesn’t matter now, I guess. I know how to please, so at least you won’t have to worry about that.” Anakin’s smirk returned as he looked up at Obi-Wan.

"I'm not worried about you pleasing me, I'm worried about if it would…trigger you."

“Well… I don’t know. I’ve never had a proper partner before, one that I took the time to get to know.”

"If Master does figure out a way we can be together in the water…and we try to…if you feel uncomfortable you can say no and we can go back to our own tanks."

Anakin nodded. “I appreciate the concern. No one has ever shown any concern towards me during breeding season. Except for Master of course.”

"I won't push you, you have my word." Obi-Wan promised.

“Thanks. For now, I think we should worry more about if Master finds a way for us to be together first. None of that is going to happen if we aren’t able to even be together.”

"I choose to be hopeful that he will."

Anakin smiled. “Me too. It’ll be nice just to hold you without a barrier between us.”

"And with us both not in pain from the wrong water…"

"I'm sure Master will find a way. He's pretty smart."

"I'll take your word on that."

 

* * *

 

A couple days later, Qui-Gon returned to his mers, a wide smile on his face. "Boys, I think I just figured a way to get you two in the same tank."

Obi-Wan looked up with a cautious curiosity.

Anakin popped up on the surface of the water in his tank.

"Yes, I think I have a way. See, you're a special type of mer," Qui-Gon said while gesturing to Anakin. "You can adapt to freshwater around breeding season, which can start now honestly. I just need to decrease the amounts of salt in your water until you're in full freshwater, then you can be in the other tank!"

Anakin's eyes widened, and he squeaked happily.

Obi-Wan wasn't quite as convinced, making a worried sound.

Qui-Gon looked at Obi-Wan. "Don't worry, this will be done safely. Neither one of you will be harmed in this process."

Obi-Wan crossed his arms with a hmph that told the human that it had better not harm his Anakin.

The man laughed. "Like I said, don't worry. I've gotten expert advice on this."

"Human's aren't experts." He mumbled, though he knew that the human couldn't speak their language.

"I'll start the water changing now, so by the time breeding season comes around, you two can be together when it starts." Qui-Gon put his hands on his hips and smiled.

Anakin dove back into the water with several happy noises, clearly excited he was going to be in the same tank with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan, however, stayed at the surface, watching the human's every move carefully.

Qui-Gon watched Anakin for a bit, then he looked over at Obi-Wan. “Are you wanting scratches?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, though he wouldn't mind it. They did feel good when Qui-Gon showed him that small bit of affection. Instead he gestured to his eyes, then reached out and placed his hand over the water in Anakin's tank, hovering just above the surface but not touching the strange dry water.

“You’re watching over him? Okay, but I promise I won’t hurt him. I like him too much to hut him. I took care of his arm properly after all.” Qui-Gon smiled and scratched Obi-Wan’s chin anyways.

Obi-Wan purred, but still gave him a look that clearly showed that he didn't want to take any chances of hurting Anakin.

“Oh my, you are quite protective of him already, aren’t you?” Qui-Gon chuckled and stepped back. “You both are in the care of a good human, I promise. Nothing bad will come to either of you.”

Anakin rose up to the surface again and looked longingly at Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan held out his hand to him.

The saltwater mer took it and pulled them together to hug again. He even kissed Obi-Wan’s ear lightly as they hugged.

Qui-Gon smiled. “Okay, I’ll leave you two be for now. I’ll be back later to start switching the saltwater to freshwater.” He turned on his heel and left the room.

"He could have started, I just wanted to hold your hand while he did it so I knew you were feeling okay."

“Hey at least he’s giving us privacy. And he knows a way to get us in the same tank!” Anakin’s tail twitched excitedly.

"Maybe. I have my doubts, I still remember the feel of your water around me. I just keep imagining mine doing the same to you."

“He said that the type of mer I am can adjust to freshwater around breeding season. I do know it’s coming up, and maybe that’s another reason why I felt uncomfortable before during this season. I wasn’t in the right type of water. It was my instinct to return to freshwater, but I was never able to.”

"Maybe, but it's something I have never heard of, and I'm worried."

“Don’t worry, Obi-Wan. I trust Master knows what he’s doing. I have no doubt he’ll be able to get us in the same tank soon.”

Obi-Wan squeezed his hand, "I hope so."

“I’m excited. To have a proper mate… I’ve been dreaming of that possibility since Master bought me.” Anakin flushed a little.

"You aren't just…settling with me because I'm here, right? You actually have real feelings?"

“Yeah… I do.”

"Because mers mate for life, at least, my clan does… I need to be sure that you are sure."

“Like I said, I never had the opportunity to get to know a mer well enough to consider them as a mate. You’re the first… and I’m hoping the only.”

"If we do this…I better be your only, because you'll be mine."

“Of course. No one else could take your place.”

"Just…need to be sure." Obi-Wan snuggled him.

Anakin nuzzled Obi-Wan’s hair fondly. “I have a feeling this will work out just fine.”

Obi-Wan nodded and sighed, "Still, tell me if the water change hurts you."

“I will, I promise.”

Obi-Wan nodded and nuzzled him.

 

* * *

 

True to his word, Qui-Gon returned later that day to begin Anakin’s transition from saltwater to freshwater. The first part of transitioning left Anakin perfectly unharmed. He hardly noticed a difference in his water.

The second part was a bit harder to adapt to, as Qui-Gon filtered out too much salt. Anakin was uncomfortable, but not so much so that he couldn’t handle it. He soon showed that he had adjusted to the difference well, and was swimming around like he normally did once more. The rest of the transitioning went smoothly, and soon Anakin was fully converted to fresh water, though his tank was left with a miniscule amount of salt for the transition back to saltwater.

Anakin soon grew antsy. He couldn’t stand to be in once place for very long. His tail became more vibrant, the ends of his fins turning a beautiful aqua color while his black scales glittered and shone when the light hit them just right.

Obi-Wan had also shown his changes. The purple of the tips of his fins spread further, and the blue scales lightened to a near white color with blue iridescent tones when the light hit them. He could be found always at the glass facing Anakin's tank, swimming back and forth along it and trailing his fingers across the glass.

Qui-Gon had marked the exact day in which Anakin could be transferred over to Obi-Wan’s tank, but the wait for that date was nearly excruciating. Anakin kept acting anxious, and he wouldn’t even stop moving to enjoy a good scratch from his master. Finally deciding that Anakin was ready to be in full freshwater, Qui-Gon came into the room with his sleeves rolled up, fully prepared to wrestle Anakin down to grab him.

Thankfully, catching Anakin wasn’t much of a problem. He was eager to go into Qui-Gon’s hands, more than ready to be with Obi-Wan finally. However, Anakin wiggled a lot in his master’s hands, so he nearly was dropped before he was dumped into Obi-Wan’s tank.

Obi-Wan shot over to Anakin, almost as if to catch him—just in case he had a bad reaction. He wrapped his arms around the other mer and nuzzled him, "Are you feeling alright?"

Anakin nuzzled back, hugging Obi-Wan tight and smiling. “I’m fine. I feel no different than being in my own tank.”

"Good." Obi-Wan cupped his cheeks with a smile as his tail wrapped around Anakin's.

“I know Master is smart but I can’t believe his plan actually worked! We’re finally in the same tank, Obi-Wan.” Anakin kissed Obi-Wan with a smile.

Obi-Wan only responded by kissing Anakin.

Eventually Anakin pulled back and swam around, examining Obi-Wan’s home. “Your tank is similar to mine.”

"Sand, seaweed…not much else in here. No shells or stones or creatures to play with.

“Well, you have me now.” Anakin smirked.

"That I do." Obi-Wan smiled.

“So now that you have me, what are you gonna do to me? Just watch me swim around?”

"Perhaps." Obi-Wan chuckled, slipping into a grouping of seaweed.

“But what if I wanted to swim around with you?”

"Then you may."

Anakin swam to where Obi-Wan was hiding in the seaweed. He kissed the freshwater mer’s nose. “You have to come out of the seaweed if you’re gonna swim with me.”

But the redheaded mer pulled Anakin into the seaweed with him, pressing their lips together.

Anakin squeaked in surprise as he was pulled into the seaweed.

Qui-Gon chuckled and shook his head. He decided not to say anything and left the two mers to do their business.

"Master's gone now." Obi-Wan smiled, letting them float up out of the seaweed.

Anakin looked back where Qui-Gon had just been, then he looked back at Obi-Wan. “You just wanted him gone, didn’t you…”

"I'm not interested in an audience for what we could end up doing if the mood strikes."

Anakin flushed a little. “I’m used to people being around…I kinda forgot he was there.”

"Well, I'm not used to it." Obi-Wan shrugged.

“I wouldn’t expect you to be. You’ve been kept safe from the worst humans can do to mers.”

"For the most part. They did steal me from my home and family." He shrugged and took Anakin's hand before nodding, "You wanted to swim around together."

“Yeah, I did.” Anakin smiled and lazily pulled Obi-Wan around, his grip tight on the other mer.

Obi-Wan smiled, swimming along with him, giving his hand a squeeze.

Anakin slowly swam closer to Obi-Wan until their shoulders touched. Anakin purred happily and nuzzled his companion.

The tank was small, no place to really swim to or explore so the two swam along the edges, eyes on each other rather than their surroundings.

Eventually Anakin made them stop by the seaweed, pulling Obi-Wan closer into a kiss.

Obi-Wan hummed, the sound the song of a siren as it reverberated through the water. It was one of the reasons he'd wanted Qui-Gon gone. Mer mating season could be dangerous for humans. Some were affected by such mating songs and would be found drowned in the water if they became entranced by it.

Anakin was quiet, having been forced to stay silent in the past so as to not ensnare any humans into his traps, as they were called so cruelly by the humans. He instead let his hands roam over Obi-Wan, content with the kissing and the heavy petting.

"Are you okay?" Obi-Wan pulled back to ask.

Anakin blinked, pulling back as well. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

"You're quiet…"

“Oh… I don’t make much noise now. Because of what the humans made me do. Never was passionate enough and I knew I would be punished if I trapped the humans.”

"Humans aren't around now…we're alone…I'd like to hear you."

“I… don’t know if I can. I only did it once before.” Anakin swallowed and flushed in embarrassment.

"Just…forget about humans…let yourself fall to instinct. There's a reason we sing, and it's not to drown humans."

“Okay… I’ll try.” Anakin moved forward again to instigate another kiss, trying to forget about what he had been forced to do, and instead he focused on what he felt he should do.

To try and help, Obi-Wan shifted them down into the seaweed and kissed him deeper, pinning him down onto the bed of soft sand as his own song once again began to fill the water.

Anakin whined a little, both from nervousness and need, but he eventually let himself go and his song soon joined Obi-Wan’s.

Obi-Wan let up, going gentle again, smiling into the kiss. Their songs mixed well. A good indication that they were well matched. The unique melody they created together was soothing, comforting, and set the mood nicely for the two.

Anakin’s song was quieter, the saltwater mer not used to using his song. But he was happy with it. He was letting it be heard, and that was all that mattered to him as he pulled Obi-Wan closer, returning to the fierce kissing as he became aware of his growing need. However, unlike in the past where it had felt forced, this time it felt more natural, more desired, and it made Anakin smile.

Slowly, their kissing grew more and more aggressive as both mers started to fight to gain and keep dominance over the other—a natural thing when two males became mates. They spun in the water, claw-like nails scraping against scales and flesh in attempt to make the other submit.

Eventually Anakin won over dominance, shoving Obi-Wan into the sand. His gaze was focused but gentle, completely different from the lack of emotion with previous mates.

Obi-Wan looked stunned as he lay pressed in the sand, looking up at the blond mer, his gills and fins flared out. Then, as he accepted his position, they relaxed.

Anakin wasted little time proceeding to the next step, having gone through the process so many times it was automatic. He reminded himself not to go too fast so he didn't overwhelm Obi-Wan.

He nuzzled Obi-Wan's neck, moving down to his chest and belly. He knew female mers were sensitive to touch on their bellies, as it helped in their arousal, so surely the same would work on males who submitted to dominance.

Obi-Wan shivered and relaxed more, his body growing in need in a whole new way. Mers were intersex in a way, able to adapt to mating needs when two of the same came to claim each other. Anakin had won dominance, and Obi-Wan had won the change. It was a wholly new feeling for him.

Anakin glanced up briefly before he went lower, nuzzling around a sensitive area of scales to arouse Obi-Wan even more.

They began to open up, and Obi-Wan's face couldn't get any redder as he let out a soft gasp.

Gently, Anakin encouraged Obi-Wan on, placing soft kisses in sensitive places until he knew his mate was ready and waiting for him. He did his part to prepare himself in the same way he prepared Obi-Wan, and soon Anakin was pushing the freshwater mer to the sand once more.

“Are you ready?”

Obi-Wan gave a small nod, "And waiting." He smiled.

Anakin smiled back. “Just slow me down if I’m going too fast. I’m used to getting this over with as soon as possible unfortunately.”

"This isn't that." Obi-Wan soothed gently, "You chose me, and I chose you."

“Still, please slow me down. I want this to be satisfying for both of us.” Anakin aligned his hips with Obi-Wan’s and slowly descended on his mate.

"I think you'll know. Remember, just go on instinct. I'm not sure how mindful I'll be to tell you to slow down."

Not saying another word on the subject, Anakin eased himself slowly into Obi-Wan, holding back a low groan.

Obi-Wan let out a surprised gasp at the sensation. It was so much— _more_ than he expected. After all, he hadn't mated before. Hadn't claimed a mate and be claimed in return. He had gotten close once, but in the end they both felt it'd be best not to. If they had, well, he wouldn't be pressed into the sand with Anakin above him—in him.

Instinct took over quickly, Anakin falling into the same pattern as he always had. First get into a steady rhythm, making his mate feel like their whole world was going to come crashing down on them because of the pleasure. So Anakin began rocking his hips, building up friction between the two of them.

Obi-Wan gasped out, arms around Anakin's shoulders to pull him close as his lips began to seek out lips, cheeks, jaw, neck—anything really.

Anakin buried his nose into Obi-Wan’s hair, gaining a tight grip on the other mer’s hips to create a faster pace. Their tails wrapped around each other to stay close together.

Obi-Wan made a small whimper—too fast, at least for so early on in the coupling.

The whimper almost didn’t register in Anakin’s mind. He slowed his pace if only a little, nuzzling Obi-Wan to reassure him that he was okay.

It took a few more adjustments, but finally, they grew in sync with each other, moving only to bring the other pleasure, and making a mess of the sandy bottom of the tank and the plants that were rooted there.

Anakin grabbed Obi-Wan’s shoulders lightly as he sped up with the growing need to do more than just bring pleasure to his mate. He moved his eyes up to meet Obi-Wan’s, mouth slightly ajar.

Obi-Wan met his gaze with hooded eyes and his hand slid up Anakin's arm to cup his cheek in wordless permission. He was close. So very close.

Going into full autopilot, Anakin dropped his head and focused on finishing the both of them off. He put all his weight onto Obi-Wan as he thrust deep and hard. Pleasure wasn’t on his mind anymore. Now it was all full instinct. Breed, create the next generation, keep passing on his genes to more offspring.

And then Obi-Wan was pulsing and squeezing around him, coaxing out his seed.

Anakin groaned, gripping Obi-Wan’s shoulders tighter to stabilize himself. His whole body shook as he reached his climax.

Obi-Wan was clinging to him, eyes closed and lips parted.

And then—it was over and the two sank back into the sand they had lifted from, exhausted, but still clinging to each other.

Anakin nuzzled lightly as he caught his breath, smiling into Obi-Wan’s hair. “That was ten times better than all the other times I’ve done it.”

"That was…indescribable." Obi-Wan panted.

“There’s no experience like it. I’m glad I got experience it with you though. You’re so much better than all the others I had to do this with.”

Obi-Wan hummed and nuzzled him, "Good to know, but I'd like to forget about all the others, right now."

“Valid. I won’t mention them again then.” Anakin sighed as he held Obi-Wan close. “I’m glad I met you.”

"Even if we have to live up here with the humans." Obi-Wan agreed with a soft purr. Then he chuckled, "But if we have pups, then we'll need Qui-Gon to get a much bigger tank. This is barely big enough for one."

“Are we even able to have pups? I mean, you and I can’t even be in the same water except for one part of the year. How would our pups survive?”

"If we have pups, they would be a mix of us both. They would be able to adapt a lot more easily than either of us, I imagine. But we would hopefully have Qui-Gon around to move them if they don't take well to my water. It'd be hard if they can't be with me when they are so young, as I'm the carrier, but, we'll find a way. As for if it's possible, well," He smiled and moved Anakin's hand onto his mid-section, "We'll just have to wait and see."

Anakin smiled at that and nuzzled Obi-Wan’s cheek. “Waiting is the only bad part of this. But I have a successful history, so I have confidence we’ll have pups.”

"We'll wait and hope. Hopefully we'll know before you are moved back over to your own type of water."

“Hopefully…” The saltwater mer closed his eyes for a bit, feeling a little tired. He curled up a little and snuggled into Obi-Wan.

"Nap together until dinner is brought to us?" Obi-Wan suggested, playing with the floating locks of golden hair his mate had.

“Sounds good to me,” Anakin said through a yawn.

"Good. One moment." Obi-Wan slipped away and quickly gathered the floating seaweed that had been up-rooted during their activities, bringing it back down to make a quick but still comfortable nest for them both to curl up in. Then he pulled his mate into it.

Anakin felt more comfortable in the nest, and he wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan. “Much better.”

"We can rebuild it better later, but it'll do for now." Obi-Wan yawned, curling his tail around Anakin's and tucking his chin comfortably over Anakin's shoulder as he closed his eyes.

Anakin sighed happily, hearing someone enter the room silently, but he paid no attention to them. He just curled up with Obi-Wan and let himself drift off to sleep, happy with his new mate and the promise of a new family in the future.

* * *

-End-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! We hope you enjoyed it


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